Midget refrigerator



June 20, 1950 S. F. WALKER MIDGET REFRIGERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 16, 1947 INVENTOR.

34 tanley P WdlKer BY v 1 MM. 4%

June 20, 1950 s, F, WALK R 2,512,077

I MIDGET REFRIGERATOR Filed Jan. 16, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Sianley j? Waljfer avw m Patented June 20, 1950 Application January 16, 194?,Serial'N0. 722,317

2 Claims. (01. 62-116) The present inventionrelates to improvements .in refrigerators and, more specifically, to a small refrigerator which I call a midget refrigerator of a very simple and inexpensive construction which is adapted to be installed in automobiles, private airplanes, boats, .house trailers, or to be Used .as an inexpensive portable refrigerator in small .apartments, .hotelrooms, and the like.

One object of the present. invention is the provision of a device of the: character describedWhich is light in weight and of such a small size that its 'food compartment can be installed ;in a small cabinet such .as a well sized glove compartment of an automobile, or the like.

Another object of the present invention is the provisionof a device of the character described which can be made as a portable refrigerator whose mechanical unit can be operated by any source of electric current such as a battery or be connected to an electrical circuit by means :of a simple plug contact to be plugged into a plug socket in substantially the same manner as .a

portable electric lamp.

Still another object of thepresent invention is the provision of a device of the character described which is well adapted to be made of plastic material in order to reduce its weight and its cost to a minimum, and whose movable parts and bearings consist mainly of hard rubber or fibre so as to avoid to a large extent the necessity of any lubrication, said movable parts {being of such a simple construction and being arranged in such a manner that they can be exchanged quickly and at a very low cost when they are Worn-out.

A still further object of the present'invention is the provision of a device of the character described which has in its food compartment simple means for storing therein several small bottles and similar breakable articles in such a manner that they are protected against breakage and that they require but a minimum of space thus leaving suflicient space for other items and for .food.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the character described which can be operated withouta'mechanical refrigeration unit and whose food compart- :ment can be separated therefrom easily, so that the food compartment can be partially filled with ice to be carried along on picnics or to be "used otherwise whenever no electric current is available.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the des-cription pro'ceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of con- .struction and combinations of parts hereinafter more .fully described and pointed out in the I claims, .itbeing understood that changes may be made .in the construction and arrangement of parts'without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In-the accompanying drawings the preferred forms of the invention have been shown.

Figure ,1 is a vertical sectional view on the line l--:l of Figure 2, showing a preferred embodiment of :my invention;

Figure '2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 2-2 '01 Fi re 1;

Figure 3 :is an enlarged detailed vertical sectional view of a preferred compressor used in connection with my new and improved midget refrigerator;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line wt-'6 'of Figure .3; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged detailed side elevation, partially in vertical section, of a modification of the compressor of Figures 3 and 4.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout-the several views.

.-In.Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing an example 0f my invention is shown as a midget refrigerator whosefoodcompartment I is installed in the dash board 2 of an automobile in place of an oversized glove compartment. The food compartment consists of an inner bottom wall-3, inner side walls 4, an :inner top wall 9, and an inner rear wall 5, whichare made preferably as a unit, and of outer sidewalls 6., an outer bottom wall I, an outer top wall l0 -andan outer rear wall 8. The parts 6, 1, Band 10 being likewise preferably made as a unit of plastic material or light metal, such as aluminum, and there being heat and cold insulation 1'! between the inner and the outer walls. If the food compartment 'of my new and improved midget refrigerator ismounted within a cabinet,

or if it is mounted into a dashboard, as in the instance shown, I prefer to use the door of the cabinet vor the door 12 of the glove compartment as a 'closuremeans for the food compartment I. In this case I prefer also to provide the door l2 with heat and cold insulation M, which is attached thereto by means of a plate I5 secured to the door l2 by means of bolts 56 or in any other suitable manner. The parts M and I5 protrude into the open portion of the food compartment l when the door it is closed, as may be seen in Figure -1. A drainage pipe I! is preferably providedlon the lower portion of the food compartment l, for allowing the draining off of con-- densed water or the like.

partment I most economically and to prevent a dislocating and a possible breaking of small bottles 18 or of other breakable items which may be kept in the food compartment I, I prefer to provide it with spring actuated means adapted to hold the bottles l8 and the like safely in place alongside the inner walls of the food compartment I. I prefer to carry out this feature of my invention in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 2, where it will be seen that rows of rings I9, each of which is adapted to engage the bottom portion of any standard soft drink bottle or the like, are secured to the inner side of the 1 inner bottom wall 3 or formed as units there with, and a U-shaped member is pressed against the top portions of the bottles H3 or" against the bottle closures 2| by means of springs 22. guided by means of rods 23 which are secured to the top wall 9 and the side walls 3 and 4 and the rear wall 5 respectively and which are extended through perforations in the member 28 and through the coiled springs 22. The member '26 is provided at its lower side with recesses 24 adapted to engage the bottle closures 21. This construction and arrangement leaves a substantial part of the front and center portion of the interior of the compartment I unobstructed and 'free, so that food and the like can be inserted therein. It also provides a suitable support for ice when the food compartment l is used without a mechanical refrigeration unit. In this case any suitable lid, door, or closure means (not shown) is used for closing the open front portion of the food compartment 1, and a portion of a bar of ice (not shown) can be placed conveniently upon the upper side of the member 20, thus providing the entire interior of the food compartment 1 with coolness dueto the fact that cold air hasa tendency of descending downwardly.

If my new and improved midgetrefrigerator is to be used in connection with a mechanical refrigeration unit 25, as in the instance shown, a coiled cooling tubing 21 is secured to the top wall 9 by means of hooks 28 or by any other suitable fastening means, and its extremities 29 'gine compartment and to extend the cooling tubing extremities and 30 through the wall 33 which separates the engine (not shown) from the interior of the car. The drainage pipe I? is likewise extended through the wall 33. In order to reduce the cost of installing my new and improved midget refrigerator into an automobile, I prefer to support the food compartment 1 by means of a plate or a shelf 34 secured thereto by welding or the like, and the mechanical refrigeration unit 2-5 by means of ashelf 35, both plates or shelves 34 and 35 having down- 'wardly bent end portions with registering perforations through which screws 36 are extended for securing the shelves or plates 34 and 35 to the wall 33 at opposite sides. 3| is driven by means of a belt 42 passing round the pulleys 3'! and 3B, the latter being secured to the shaft 4! of an electro motor 40. A hub carrying fan blades 43 is secured'to that portion of the motor shaft 41 which protrudes be- The compressor I The member 20 and the springs 22 are structed'for this device.

4 yond the pulley 38, and the condenser 32 is arranged adjacent the fan blades 43, so that a stream of air is forced through the condenser 32 when the motor 40 is running. The latter is electrically connected to the battery and is switched on and off by any suitable switching means (not shown), preferably by means of a well-known thermostat (not shown) which preferably is installed in the food compartment 1.

Any suitable compressor can be used in connection with my new and improved midget refrigerator; however, in order to reduce to a minimum the weight and the manufacturing cost of my new and improved midget refrigerator, I

prefer to use a compressor specifically con- Referring first to Figures 3'and 4, the compressor has a housing 44 whose interior is cylindrical and which is closed at one side by bearing brackets 45 and 56 and at the other side by a cylinder 4'! which is preferably flanged thereto. A shaft 48, which car- 'ries the pulley 3?, is rotatable in the bearing 'brackets 45 and 46 and has an enlarged portion which is provided with a bore 49 and formed as a unit with .a cam disk 50. The cam portion 5i, which protrudes from the face of the disk 50, is of any suitable shape or design, for instance it is made as 'a semi-circular wedge as in the instance shown. A rod 53 extendsinto the bore 49 and is axially shiftable therein. A hub 54, from which a tongue 55 is radially extended and preferably formed as a unit therewith, is secured to the rod 53 in such a manner that the tongue 55 is adjacent the disk 59 and will be moved axially, together with the rod 53 when the disk 56 revolves. The parts 53 to 55 --are axially movable but are prevented from ro- 'tating by any suitable means, preferably by means of a pair'of parallel ribs 56 which are formed as a unit with the housing 44 and between which a portion of the tongue 55 is slidable, as may be seen in Figure 4. A piston 51, which is slidable in the cylinder 41 is connected to the rod 53 by means of a cross pin 53 or by any other suitable means. A spring 58 has a tendency to press the piston 51 towards the disk 56, so that, upon rotation of the disk, the piston 51 will be reciprocated. An inlet opening 51) in the cylinder 47 is connected to the condenser 32 by means of a tubing 6| (Figures 1 and 2), and an outlet opening 62 is connected to the extremity 29 of the coiled cooling tubing 2?. The outlet opening 62, which is axially extended through a cap 67 on the head of the cylinder 41, is controlled by a non-return-check valve 63. I prefer to arrange this valve in the manner shown in Figure 3, where it will be seen that its shaft 64 is extended into an axial bore 66 in the piston 51 and the spring 59 presses the valve 63 against the cap 61 which is on the head of the cylinder 41, thus saving an extra spring for the Valve 63. The cap 67 is provided with semi-circular channels 68. One orifice of each channel 68 registers with bores 69 in the head of the cylinder 41, While the other orifice of each channel 88 is closed by the valve 63 when the latter is in the position shown in Figure 3, in which position the outlet opening 62 is also closed by the valve 63. When the piston 5'! is pressed toward the head of the cylinder 4'! by means of the cam 51, the fluid in the cylinder 4? travels through the channels 68 and presses upon the valve 63 thus overcoming the tension of the spring 59 and opening the valve 63, so that the fluid canescape through the opening 62. When the piston 51 is moved by the pressure of the spring 59 toward the disk 50, the valve 63 closes, and a vacuum is created within the cylinder 41, so that fluid will be sucked into the cylinder 4? through the lateral intake opening 60. When the piston 51 starts to move back toward the head of the cylinder 47, the lateral intake opening 60 will be closed by the piston 51, so that no fluid will be pressed back into the conduit 6% during the major compression-expulsion move ment of the piston 51. This arrangement of the intake opening 60 in the manner shown in Fi ure 3, makes it unnecessary to provide a nonreturn-check valve in the conduit 6! or on the intake opening 60.

Referring now to Figure 5, the same shows a combination of the motor and compressor, which makes pulleys, belt and a pair of bearing brackets unnecessary, thus further reducin the cost and the weight of my new and improved midget coolery. In this case a shaft 70 driven by a motor 12 carries at one end a hub with fan blades "H thereon, and at the other end the shaft is of an enlarged diameter, provided with a bore 13, and formed as a unit with a cam disk 15. The shaft is rotatable in bearing brackets 16 and Ti, and a longitudinal cylinder 78 is axially secured to the motor 72 opposite to the fan blades H. The disk 75, which extends into the cylinder 18, is formed as a unit with a cam l9, and a rod 88 is shiftable in the bore 13. The rod 80 has secured thereto a hub 8| which is formed as a unit with a tongue 82. The guiding ribs 84 at the inner side of the cylinder 18, the cross pin 85, the piston 86, the spring 81, the valve 89, the cap 90, the bores 9i and 92, and the channels 93, are identical to, and arranged and effective in the same manner as, the corresponding parts 56 to 69 of the modification of Figures 3 and 4. While in Figure 3 the piston 57 is shown in the position in which it is at the beginning of its compression movement, in Figure 5 the piston 88 is shown in the position at the end of said movement, thus showing in the latter case the valve 89 open and the intake opening 92 closed by the piston 86.

In order to reduce to a minimum the noise and the weight of my device and to eliminate practically any necessity for lubrication, I prefer to make the parts 45, 46, 54, 55, 51, 56, ll, 8|, 82 and 86 of hard rubber or fibre or any other similar material. Since the compressor can be taken apart very easily by removing the cylinder, worn out moving parts can be exchanged speedily, and the cost of these simple parts is so small that the advantages of having them made of hard rubber or the like greatly outweigh the requirement of an exchange after long periods of time.

If the combination motor-compressor as per Figure 5 is used, the condenser 32 is placed adjacent the fan blades ll, and the elimination of the separate motor 40 allows a substantial reduction of the length of the plate or shelf 35.

Since certain changes may be made in the above article and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A device of the character described comprising a food compartment which consists of heat and cold insulated side, rear, top and bottom walls and which is adapted to be mounted into a cabinet and closed by the door of the cabinet, heat and cold insulation being mounted upon the inner side of said door in such a manner as to extend into said compartment when the door is closed, a coiled cooling tubing being extended into said compartment, spring biased means for holding in place rows of bottles arranged alongside the rear and side walls of the compartment being provided therein, a compressor adapted for forcing a cooling medium through said tubing and through an expansion device as well as through a condenser being located outside of said compartment, and a motor driving said compressor and having fan blades on its shaft for forcing air through said condenser being juxtaposed to said compressor out side of the compartment, said compressor and said condenser being connected to said coiled tubing by means of tubes which are extended into said compartment 2. A device of the character described comprising a food compartment which consists of heat and cold insulating side, rear, top and bottom walls and which is adapted to be mounted into a cabinet and closed by the door of the cabinet, heat and cold insulation being mounted upon the inner side of said door in such a manner that it extends into said compartment when said door is closed, a coiled cooling tubing being extended into said compartment, rows of annular members being secured to the inner side of the bottom of said compartment alongside its side and rear walls and being adapted for engaging the lower portions of bottles, a U-shaped member being slidably arranged on rods which are vertically extended from the top of said compartment and having at its lower surface recesses adapted to engage the closures of said bottles, and resilient members for pressing said U-shaped member against said bottles being interposed between the top wall of the compartment and said U-shaped member, a mechanical refrigerator unit comprising a compressor, a condenser, a motor, and an expansion device being provided outside of said compartment, and said compressor and said condenser and the expansion device being connected to said coiled tubing by means of tubes.

STANLEY F. WALKER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Zerk June 23, 1942 Number 

